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Opinion: Internet as an act of reconciliation – The Hill Times

by ahnationtalk onNovember 20, 201774 Views

The internet is a powerful tool for change, but we can’t meaningfully move forward as a country if anyone is left behind.

It’s been 897 days since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) outlined its 94 calls to action towards reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, and to say we’re progressing at a snail’s pace would be generous.

Canada’s human rights challenges with regard to Indigenous communities are numerous and not simple to fix. Among them, more than 140 First Nations lack access to safe drinking water, many communities are experiencing epidemic levels of suicide and/or addiction, andIndigenous children are more than twice as likely to live in poverty than non-Indigenous kids.

It’s no surprise that internet access, which the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) declared a basic service in 2016, is still characterized by high costs, low speeds, data caps, and poor or non-existent service in many rural and remote areas across Canada.